(1) Field of the invention
This invention relates to a tongue hygiene device, and more particularly to a tongue cleaner which attaches to a prophy angle. The tongue cleaner allows the tongue to be cleaned by rotary motion to minimize bacteria and foreign matter buildup on the surface of the tongue.
(2) Description of related art
Many microorganisms locate on the surface of the tongue. These microorganisms cause a variety of harmful oral diseases, plaque buildup and halitosis. It is desirable to clean the surface of the tongue; but the tongue's irregular surface, the tongue's flexibility, and the gag reflex when something is placed too far back on the tongue make cleaning the tongue difficult. The tongue's surface has microscopic projections and cavities formed by papillae and lymph follicles. The tongue also has a number of macroscopic ridges and grooves.
Several prior art methods exist for cleaning the surface of the tongue. These methods include scraping the surface of the tongue with a tongue scraper, brushing the tongue with a toothbrush or tongue brush, and blasting the surface of the tongue with an abrasive fluid.
One type of tongue scraper comprises a handle which has a cross bar with a scraping edge at an end of the handle. To clean the tongue, the user inserts the handle into the mouth so that the scraping edge contacts the back or inner end of the tongue. The user then draws the tongue scraper forward while maintaining a steady downward pressure on the tongue scraper. Foreign material stripped from the surface of the tongue collects on a surface of the tongue scraper adjacent to the scraping edge. Sometimes, large sections of the tongue surface are not cleaned because of movement of the tongue during the tongue scraping.
Brushing the tongue to remove foreign material is typically done with a toothbrush and a mild abrasive, such as toothpaste. Cleaning the tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste is often inefficient due to the size of the toothbrush head and the softness of the bristles. The efficiency of cleaning the tongue with a brush can be improved by using a tongue brush. The design of the tongue brush head and the hardness of the bristles of a tongue brush improve the efficiency of a tongue brush for cleaning the surface of a tongue as compared to a toothbrush. Large sections of the tongue surface are not cleaned because of movement of the tongue during the tongue brushing.
Another method of cleaning the tongue is to blast the surface of the tongue with an abrasive fluid to "sandblast" the tongue. This aggressive treatment is sometimes used as a regular treatment for people suffering from severe halitosis.
When a person has a dental checkup, a dental hygienist or dentist cleans the person's teeth both under and above the gums. Then, the teeth are polished using either a prophy jet or prophy cup to complete the cleaning phase of the dental checkup. Typically, the tongue is not cleaned during a dental checkup. Cleaning the tongue during a checkup would provide the patient with a cleaner, fresher mouth. Also, cleaning the tongue would significantly reduce the presence of bacteria and foreign matter that causes plaque, gum disease and bad breath.